


Fear is the price of his imagination, because it knows no limits.

by dr-HannibalLecterMD (orphan_account)



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: 15yo Hannibal, 7yo Will, Other, Will's beautiful and amazing imagination, before I wake AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 13:05:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8103406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/dr-HannibalLecterMD
Summary: 7yo Will Graham has been left abandoned by his father, his mother is still listed as missing. He can not remember her that well, but his own father is afraid of him. Now, Will is placed in an orphanage where he meets an older Hannibal. His gift starts to show, something that Hannibal is astounded with. He has never met anyone like Will before.This is a work in progress.





	1. What do you see behind closed eyes?

The boy had arrived the day before. He was small, looked only about 6-7, scruffy, pale with dark circles under his eyes. The toy dog he brought with him was clutched tightly as he was led through the orphanage, shown the grounds and told where he would be sleeping.

 

Hannibal had not paid much attention to him at first until later that night. It seemed he was not the only one who was not sleeping.

 

Laying in his own bed as he stared up at the ceiling, he was walking through the beginnings of his memory palace when he heard the creak of the wooden floor boards.

 

Turning his head, he caught a glimpse of the boy leaving the room. Taking his toy dog with him into the corridor.

 

A sigh before he left the bed, sitting up and quietly moving to not wake the older boys who would certainly punish the poor boy. Finally escaping his own room, he tip toed along the corridor until he came to the cupboard where a light was on.

 

Opening the door, the boy scurried back. Looking up at him with wide eyes.

 

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to wake you.”

 

“You should be in bed.” Hannibal spoke, kneeling in front of the boy. “Did you have a nightmare?”

 

A shake of the boy’s head, curls bouncing before he stilled. Tentative to talk but fearful.

 

“I don’t like to sleep.” The boy answered quietly. “I don’t like to dream.”

 

“Dreams can be pleasant.”

 

“My dreams are bad… Always bad… The… The canker comes to eat people.”

 

There is a stab of empathy for the boy, making him move closer and sit next to him.

 

“What is your name?” Hannibal asked.

 

“Will.”

 

“I can stay here with you to help keep the nightmares away.”

 

“You’d do that?” Will looked up hopefully.

 

“Nightmares are not pleasant, but if you have one I’ll be here to wake you.”

 

Will looked baffled for a moment before he thought about it. The boy was older and he had not teased him about his toy or called him a baby like some of the other children already. Soon enough he nodded, letting his head rest against the arm of the older boy.

 

“Thank you.” Will whispered silently as he let his eyes close. Exhausted from the past few days and not sleeping, he only hoped that he would not dream.

 

Hannibal stayed still, the weight of the boy against him reminded him of his sister not so long ago. At nearly fifteen now he would soon be able to leave the orphanage. He was simply just waiting his time.

 

It was as he started to rest his own head against the wall he heard a small bark. Looking down at his feet, there was a small puppy trotting over to him, pulling then at the base of his pants as it growled playfully.

 

There was a moment of confusion. Where did this pup come from and where on earth had it got in?

 

Then, another one appeared followed by another. The three pups started to climb on him, walking over his legs as he moved and jostled Will awake.

 

Will gave a small groan, a moment where his eyes were still closed before he opened them and blinked up at Hannibal.

 

“I’m sorry.” Will spoke regretfully, looking down as his bottom lip pouted slightly.

 

Where the puppies had been moments before, as Will had opened his eyes they disappeared into smoke. Hannibal was shocked for a moment, he knew they were real. He had felt they were real. But with their sudden disappearance he could not establish what had actually happened.

 

It was only when he heard Will apologize that he connected the dots, a moment where he was filled with wonder and then the thought crossed his mind. One he would be introducing the boy to tomorrow night.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for Will.” Looking at the boy with fascination. “But we should go back to the room, if we are found outside we will be in trouble.”

 

They both moved quickly and quietly back into the room, Hannibal leading Will over to his bed as he tucked him in for the night.

 

“You didn’t say your name?” Will spoke quietly as Hannibal tucked the toy dog into the bed with him.

 

“Hannibal… For now, try to make it look like you are sleeping, but tomorrow I will help you sleep again.”

 

“Ok… Thank you Hannibal. Good night.” Will whispered quietly.

 

The boy watched Hannibal move from his bed to Hannibal’s own, noting where it was for the future. He didn’t seem afraid of his gift, but he was still scarred on the canker. He hadn’t told Hannibal that it already ate his mom and some of his foster family. But he hoped it would not eat Hannibal, he seemed nice.


	2. The sparks of a memory

There was only so many times he could toss and turn before the other children were awoken by the rustling of his sheets and the constant creek of his bed springs.

 

As the sun rose and started to cast light through the room, Will sat up in his bed and started to get ready for the day. Playing with his toy dog until the other children started to stir and then make their own preparations for breakfast.

 

The day felt long and arduous. The food he was provided was not pleasant to eat, but he did anyway knowing he would need the energy. As the day wore on, he went outside to play. Sitting on the ground near the sand pit as he made mountains, it was only when a shadow cast over him that he looked up to see three of the older boys gathering around him.

 

“What do we have here?”

 

“Why are you playing all alone?”

 

“Because he has no friends Trent.”

 

Will said nothing, taking up his toy dog as he tried to move away.

 

“Hold on, we wanted to ask you a question.” One of the boys leaned forward and grabbed Will’s arm. Preventing him from escaping.

 

Instead of asking Will anything, he instead took the toy dog from him. Tugging it away as he held it up out of reach.

 

“No. Winston! Give him back!” Will cried, jumping up to retrieve his friend.

 

The boys started to laugh as they spread out, throwing the toy to each other as they watched Will try to catch the toy. Half way through however, tears had started to well, unable to reach his friend and the boys pushing him away when he got close. Falling to his knees, he bowed his head as he blinked a few tears.

 

“You should give that back to him.” Hannibal interjected smoothly, making Will jerk his head up to look at the boy approaching.

 

“Oh looks who’s decided to join us… Do you have a soft spot for the baby?” One of them sniggered.

 

“Perhaps at night now he will scream Will’s name instead of Mischa!”

 

Hannibal’s fingers curled into a fist, waiting for the moment that was coming when they would round on him. He only needed them to make the first move.

 

“Will! Will!” One of the boy’s screamed sarcastically as the other two laughed.

 

“Enough.” A teacher interjected, having heard the commotion and coming over before things had escalated. “Will, please stand up. Michael, give him his toy back. And Hannibal, come with me to my office, now!”

 

Michael walked forward to where Will was pulling himself up, dusting the front of his pants before snatching his friend from the boy before he could have the chance to change his mind.

 

Standing silently as the teacher gave orders for the older boys to go back inside, he was allowed to go back to play with the other children. Hannibal would not be joining him however, looking back as he watched the teacher escort the older boy inside while talking in a low voice to him.

 

~*~

 

After dinner, Will was sitting on his bed reading a book he had brought with him. The last foster family who had taken him in had given it to him when he first arrived.

 

It was a book on all the different types of dogs. Sometimes when he would not sleep, he would read it for hours. Learning all the different breeds and attributes. When he did fall asleep, sometimes he dreamed of being a vet. Fixing wounded animals and helping them.

 

Those were the pleasant dreams, ones that he didn’t mind. He could always remember his dreams vividly, and the effects that it had on those around him. The looks of people’s faces when they understood what he was doing, that his dreams came to life.

 

He never meant to, if he knew how to make it stop he would. But the only way he knew for certain now was to stay awake. It was the nightmares that haunted him and the canker.

 

“What are you reading?” Hannibal asked, sitting next to Will as the other children started to climb into their own beds. Lights out had just been called so soon it would be dark.

 

“A book about dogs.”

 

“You like dogs.” Hannibal smiled gently, knowing this from the night before and Will’s favorite toy. “Would you like to look at a photo I have of my sister?”

 

The boy nodded enthusiastically, setting his book to the side as Hannibal pulled out a tattered photo he had kept. Showing it to Will.

 

“That’s you.” Will smiled, pointing at a younger Hannibal. His finger slid across to the girl standing next to Hannibal and significantly younger. “Who is that.”

 

“Mischa.” Hannibal spoke, his voice dropping and face hardening slightly. “She was my sister.”

 

“She’s not here anymore?” Will tilted his head.

 

“No.”

 

“My mum’s in heaven.” Will spoke shyly, a feeling of guilt welling on him. “Maybe there friends up there?”

 

“Maybe.” A flicker of a smile on Hannibal’s face before it vanished. “Would you like me to tell you a story to help you sleep?”

 

There was a moment where Will thought. Like any boy, the day had tired him out, but he was still afraid. Hannibal however had promised to watch over him and let nothing happen. A promise he had kept last night and today when he didn’t have to.

 

Will nodded and laid down in his bed, holding the stuffed dog Winston close to his chest as he looked at Hannibal and waited for his story.

 

“There was once a young girl who was walking through the forest.” Hannibal spoke, watching Will’s eyes and hoping, praying almost that this would work.

 

“She loved to pic flowers and put them in her hair or the mane of her horse Zeus… She loved animals and when she would find them in the forest she would talk to them or them the flowers she had picked…”

 

Looking around the room quickly, everyone else was already tucked into their own beds and just about asleep. Now he needed to get Will to dream to bring Mischa back to him. Watching the boy’s closed eyes, waiting for his breathing to even out.

 

“The birds would take the flowers kindly and use them in there nest, some of the other animals liked to eat them. They-“ Hannibal stopped suddenly when he heard a noise outside the door at the other end of the room.

 

Eyes falling to the crack where the light shined through, he could see someone, something moving quick and causing a shadow.

 

Standing, he let Will sleep. Edging forward tentatively towards the door, hand stretching out for the knob.

 

Opening it, there was only silence to greet him. The light cast a warm glow over the front and a few creaks could be heard as someone turned in their bed in the room.

 

Suddenly, footsteps sounded at the end of the hall and a small figure skipped across. Hannibal was caught in the moment, walking down slowly.

 

The first sign was there when he laid eyes on the small puppy that was glowing slightly, it’s colors so bright and vibrant. Then his heart skipped a beat as Mischa crawled forward and picked up one of the puppies and played with it.

 

She was just as he remembered her in the photo. The same exact dress, her smile. He kneeled, watching her with the pup in her arms.

 

“Mischa.” He whispered, leaning forward to touch.

 

He hadn’t expected it to be real, there was a moment where he believed she was an apparition. But when he touched her hair, the silky curls gently glided over his fingers. Her scalp was warm to the touch, and when he pulled her in for a hug she even almost smelt of flowers like she always would after picking them.

 

It was a moment as he held her warm body against his and felt the beat of her heart, words could not describe the range of emotions he was reeling through. But he held tight until he suddenly fell to the floor.

 

Looking up, Mischa was no where to be seen. Taking several breaths as he clambered up, looking around desperately, it was when Will quietly came out of the room.

 

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” The boy was looking at his feet, wringing his hands together as he then made his way to the bathroom.

 

Hannibal was in shock, he had felt such joy, love and relief moments before and now it had been snatched away from him. He had lost Mishca. Again.

 

Silently he made his way back into the shared bed room. A glance over to Will’s bed and he could that he had pulled out his book and was reading it under torch light.

 

Hannibal knew he had to get Will to dream again, tell him more about Mischa. The way she used to say his name. He wanted to hear Mischa say his name again.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work in progress, let me know what you think. If you have seen the movie you have an idea of what it would be like, but here is the AU nobody asked for the idea that helped to destroy a writer's block. So sorry for the short piece.


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